Metal-punching machinery.



e. P. THOMAS.

' METAL FUNCHING MACHINERY. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29. 1914.

Patented A r; 18,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

I 6' c d WITNESSES INVENTOR GEM/97, M X M 7/5 G. P. THOMAS.

METAL PUNCHING MACHINERY.

. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA 4. 1,179,476. Patented Apr. 18, 1916. I I A 2 EEEEEEEEEEEE 2- /2i hl .uumu

GEORGE ram. rrnoms, OF,G-LENSHAW, PENNSYLVANIA.

METAL-PUNCHING MACHINERY.

To all whom it may concern: j I,

Be it "known that I, GEORGE PAUL TH01\-IAs,. residing at Glenshaw, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsyl- Vania, a citizen of the United States, have invented or discovered certain'new and useful Improvements in Metal-Punching Machinery, of which improvements the following is a specification. Y

My invention consists' in improvements in metal-punching machinery and more particularly in mechanism for attaching the punch to the punching head.

multiple punch in which the punches are sosecured to the punching head, that the spaces between the adjacent spindles of the transverse row shall be sufficiently great to permit of the action of the wrenches in applying and removing the punches; consequently, the punches cannot be arranged as close together in transverse row as they might otherwise be. This heretofore irreducible minimum distance between adjacent punches has been a limitation which the machine builder would gladly have been freed from; for often a closer spacing, if practicable, would have been adopted.

1 By my invention, clearance does not-have to. be left for the insertion and action of wrenches; and, furthermore, the punches maybe applied to and removed from the ends of the punching-head with the greatest ease and by the simplest operation, with a great saving of time o'tlierwise consumed.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1v is a vertical section through the chuck in which my invention consists applied to spindle of, the punching head ofa metal-punching machine and with the punch itself in place; Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view, on the line II-II, Fig. 1;

Specification of Letterslatent.

Application filed June 29, 1914. Serial N 0. 847,976.

' Patented Apr. 18, 1916.

Fig. 3 is a sectional View, on the line IIIIII,

Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a view in elevation of the cam lever detached; Fig. 5 is H aview similar to Fig. 1, showing a modification in detail; Fig. 6 is a like View, showing another modification; Fig. 7 is still another view similar, to Fig. 1, showing the adaptation of the inventionto standard shape; and Fig. .8 shows a number of punches with shanks of varied shape, but each adapted to be used in the practice of my invention. I

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, the member with which the punching head is equipped and to which the punch is attached is shown in exemplary way, in the punches of form of a spindle 1. Such a spindle is the usual member for attachment of t e punch, but it willbe understood that the invention is not limited to any particular form of attaching member.

2 is the punch. As shown in Fig. 1, the

punch 2 is applied in axial line against the end of spindle 1 and there secured. As said at the beginning, the punch has heretofore been secured to the spindleby means of a clamping nut, and it has been necessary to leave clearance between adjacent spindles to give access to a wrench for aplying and removing.

In the place of a clamping nut, I employa casing 3, the particular shape of which (as will presently appear) is subject to variation. This casing, unlike the clamping nut referred to (which, is applied and removed with the punch), is applied to the punching head and remains secure while punches are applied to and removed from it. This casing 3-is provided with a seat for the punch which will preferably take the form of an orifice 4., axially arranged tion of the punch, so that the punch 2 introduced through orifice 4 will abut against the end of the spindle 1, as is particularly shown in Fig. 1.

The punch itself is provided with an abutment, which may take the form of a groove 5, and the casing 3,carries a block 6 which, when the punch 2 is brought to position, engages the notch 5 in the punch and holds it secure for operation. The engaging portions of the punch and of the block may, as will presently appear, be variously shaped, and union may be variously accom- 'with respect to the spindle, for the recep- I plished, but I will first describe specifically the construction shown in Figs. 1. 2, 3. and 4.

The casing 3 is provided with a lateral prolongation which takes the form of a cylindrical arm 7. The cylinder is closed at the end with a perforate head 8, of which more will presently be said. Through this cylinder 7 and'through the perforate head 8 extends the locking bolt 9, with an enlarged head 10, which locking bolt is impelled in a direction toward the punch by means of the spring ,11, conveniently arranged between the cylinder head 8 and the head 10 of the locking bolt itself. The head 10 of the locking bolt engages the locking block 6, the engagement is (as shown in Figs. 1 and 2) a dove-tailed engagement on a surface oblique to the direction of movement of the punch 2 when being applied. This relative movement of the block 6 and the bolt head 10 permits of nicety of adjustment, advantageous in case variation exists in the dimensions of the punches successively usedfor, of course, this locking mechanism is intended to be used for holding interchangeable punches.

The outer end of the locking bolt 9 has, pivoted to it, the cam lever 12, rotated by hand. A cam surface a upon this hand lever, cooperating with an abutment preferably in the form of a roller 13 mounted on extensions of the cylinder 7, may be used to lock the bolt and the block 6 firmly, once the punch is in place. Fig. 1 shows this cam surface a in such locking contact with roller 13. Consideration of Fig. 1 will make plain the fact that by turning cam lever 12 to the left such locking engagement may be broken,

and the locking block 6 left free to recede to the left against the tension of spring 11. Such is the open position of the chuck, and

with the parts so positioned a punch 2 may be introduced in the opening 4 in the casing 3 and locked in place. The block 6 will recede (spring 11 being compressed) until, as the punch is forced upward, groove 5 comes opposite a correspondingly shaped tongue on block 6, whereupon block 6 will spring outward to lock the punch in place. A second cam surface I) is provided on cam lever 12; and this surface b, engaging a corresponding abutting surface (conveniently formed on the cylinder head 8) when lever 12 is turned still farther to the left, will draw the bolt aside and with it the block 6, against the tension of spring 11, to release the tool 2. Two things will be understood respecting this cam lever and its action: First, when in release position, that is when neither cam is engaging its abutting surface, the block 6 is held in position yieldingly by the tension of the spring 11 (permitting application of the punch) and, second, that the permissible play of the bolt 9 in longitudinal direction is as great as the distance 0 d (Fig. 2), the maximum play of the block 6 across the path of punch 2 when being applied and removed.

As particularly shown in Fig. 2, the locking block 6 does not extend circumferentially around the body of punch 2 so far as to interfere with ready application and re- 'moval.

As particularly shown in Fig. 5, it is not necessary that the locking block 6 and the head 10 of the locking bolt be separate; they may be made a single member 14. In this case there is noprovision for variation in the dimensions of different punches; but these tools are made of standard size and, under ordinary conditions, special compensation such as is shown in Fig. 1 is not necessary.

In Fig. 6 I have shown in place of a spring-backed lever-thrown locking block, a locking block in the form of a set-screw 15. It will be easily understood that this setscrew may be so arranged that operation of it will not require great clearance be be adapted in shape to the shape of a standard punch. This figure also shows that the casing itself may be provided with a shoulder 16 to engage the punch and sustain the thrust of the drawing out of the punch from a hole punched in a plate of metal. This shoulder 16 will preferably, though not necessarily, be supplementary to a corresponding shoulder formed on the locking block 14. As has been explained with respect to the locking block, the shoulder 16 will not extend more than half way around the shank of the punch. In this case (supplementary shoulders on casing and locking block being provided) the locking-block 14 will have a displacement twice as great as is otherwise necessary, to permit application and removal of the punch. As I have algard, and it will be understood that the locking block will be correspondingly shaped.

In another copending application, filed June 29, 1914, Serial No. 847,977, I am describing and claiming an oil feed, for the purpose of keeping the punch itself automatically oiled. It is suflicient here to note that an oil chamber in thecasing 3 is indicated at 17, that oil grooves in the punch are indicated at 18, and that wick 19 for the feeding of the oil extends across the periphery of the opening 4 in the casing 3 and when the punch is applied bears upon its surface.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a metal punching machine, the combination of a punching head provided with a transversely disposed seat for a punch, a casing borne by said head and provided with a punch-receiving opening, a punch in said opening abutting at its inner end against the seat of said punching head, and a punching lock borne by said casing and movable laterally to and from punch-engaging position, said punch and said lock being provided with complementary strain-sustaining surfaces disposed transversely to the longitudinal axis of thepunch.

2. In a metal-punching machine, the combination of a punching'head provided with a seat for a punch, a spring-impelled punch lock borne by said punching head, and means for withdrawing said lock against the tension of its impelling spring.

3. In a metal-punching machine, the coma seat for a punch, a spring-impelled bolt borne by said punching head, a double faced cam lever pivoted to the end of said bolt and two bearing surfaces arranged one opposite each of the cam faces of said cam .lever.

5. In a metal-punching machine, the combination of a punching head, a casing borne by said punching head and provided with an orifice for a punch, a spring actuated bolt mounted in said casing and a punch locking block borne by and movable upon said bolt.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.- GEORGE PAUL THOMAS. Witnesses:

BAYARD H. CHRIs'rY, FRANCIS J. To AssoN. 

